Pot Activist Jodie Emery to File For Liberal Candidacy

Pot activist Jodie Emery is set to file the paperwork to run for the Liberal Party of Canada, exposing Justin Trudeau’s promise to legalize marijuana to renewed attacks from the Conservative Party.

The Liberal hierarchy is not welcoming Ms. Emery with open arms, but the party’s decision to hold open nominations in all ridings means she can at least try to join Mr. Trudeau’s team for the next election.

Ms. Emery said Mark Elyas, past-president and election readiness chair of the Vancouver East Federal Liberal Riding Association, and Russ Miller, the association’s vice-president, asked her about two months ago whether she would consider becoming a candidate in the riding. She discussed the matter with husband Marc Emery – who is known as the “Prince of Pot” for his relentless marijuana advocacy in Canada and the United States – before joining the party last month and requesting nomination papers about two weeks ago.

“We already knew we wanted to support the Liberals anyway … so for us, the opportunity of working with guys who actually worked on the [Liberal policy resolution to legalize and regulate marijuana], and putting our name toward the party, was just too good of an opportunity,” said Ms. Emery, who ran for the Green Party in B.C.’s two most recent provincial elections.

Under the Cannabis Culture banner, the Emerys have developed a large presence in the marijuana community with their website and headquarters in Vancouver. Mr. Emery is set to return to Canada in coming weeks after spending more than four years behind bars in the United States for selling marijuana seeds to U.S. customers. Early next year, the couple is planning a cross-country Canadian tour in support of the Liberals – an idea Ms. Emery said was in the works long before she joined the party.